


Songs to Live and Die By

by Fantastical394



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Angst, Awkward Flirting, Bad-Ass OC, F/M, Hurt Daryl Dixon, Pregnant Lori, Protective Daryl Dixon, Protective Rick Grimes, Rick is a Good Bro, Shane is a bad Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-16 00:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14152677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantastical394/pseuds/Fantastical394
Summary: Daryl doesn’t need people, he doesn’t need anyone. All he needs is his bow and his leather, and he will be fine. People are dying left and right, but why should he care. Did they care about him?Nicole is completely over all of this.  Her friends are dead, her family is gone, and the world has gone to absolute hell. But that doesn’t matter. It’s not like the world has ever done anything for her.That is, until a chance meeting brings the two together in an unexpected way, tossing both of them into the apocalyptic mess. Of course, her past isn’t going to make any of this easy. But then again, does it ever?Two crossbow wielding, potty-mouthed, stubborn, pig-headed, reckless, aggressive, and hopelessly/hilariously awkward people.





	1. Open Your Minds

**Author's Note:**

> I already have this story posted on FanFiction, but I wanted to bring it here too. I’m not the best writer, so please be nice, and just give it a shot. You may like it. 
> 
> Plus- since most of it is written, I will update regularly, which is a bonus.

“Shit." I hissed as I narrowly escaped from a hungry walker that was attempting to take a chunk out of my leg. I swung my axe quickly behind me, decapitating the walker with one, swift stroke. God, I was getting absolutely sick of these things.

I ran down the street, looking behind me every few feet to make sure I wasn't being followed. I passed building after building, trying to pick a place where I could hide out for a night. There was Hatlin's, which was a bar, a grocery store, a boutique, a pharmacy, and another small store. There were a few abandoned cars scattered about the street. This place had been abandoned quickly. It made for a pretty good hideout.

I've been on my own, almost from the beginning. For a the first two weeks, I had been with a small group of people that I went to college with. We had all been about to graduate Georgia Tech before it all went to shit. When things started popping up on the news and everything went downhill, we naturally stuck together. I think it's a natural instinct, the need to be together, the need to have people around you. And we were doing well. We had all piled in vans and planned to drive to Atlanta. There was a refugee camp there, or at least, there was supposed to be. We were halfway there when we heard that it was overrun. After that, well, that's when it really got bad.

First, we ran out of gas. All of us, all three of our vans. We packed all we had into our bags and fled into the woods. Then, after our food ran out, things went from bad to worse. Members of our group started getting spooked, started freaking out about everything that was going on. They got loud, and reckless. That attracted walkers.

And then, it happened. The massacre. Hordes of walkers began to attack us, spilling out of the woods like a deadly swarm. We weren't ready. People were screaming, blood was everywhere. Guns shot blindly. I fired my crossbow straight at their heads, wincing as the arrow pierced their heads with a sickening crack. I simply swallowed my fear and kept shooting, shaking as my friends dropped all around me. It went on like this for what felt like hours, but turned out to be only mere minutes. Before I knew it, everything was silent, except for the quiet moaning of my friends as they all slowly succumbed to their injuries. I was the only one left standing.

So I did what had to be done. I ended it. I ended it for all of them. I waited for each one to pass out before I swung my axe, splitting their skulls with one swift blow. I killed them. All of them. Quickly and quietly. No muss. No fuss. I killed my friends because I loved them.

After that, I just picked up my axe and my bow and started walking. And walking. And I never looked back. 

That's how I wound up in a rinky dink little town malnourished, dehydrated, and all alone.

I peaked into the small store, listening for any walkers that could possibly be hiding. It was dead silently. Quickly, I walked in and shut the door behind me, sliding down onto the floor with my back against the wall. I groaned as my back popped painfully. I rested my head on the wall and closed my eyes. This was as good of a place as any to rest. My eyelids felt heavy as they slowly closed over my dark blue eyes.

OOO  
"Come on Nikki!" My brother screamed at me, his bright red bike helmet flashing in the sunlight. He was about twenty feet ahead of me. He had always been a better bike rider than I was, and the fact that he was more than twice my age didn't help. 

"Stop making fun of me!" I yelled back in my high pitched voice. I was panting, trying to keep up with him. I could never keep up with him, and I never let myself forget that.

"Whatever Nicole!" He laughed, turning and riding even faster up the hill, disappearing straight into the setting sun. I rolled my eyes and pedaled faster, trying to catch up. But, when I got to the top of the hill, I stopped.

Everything I could see was terrible. The buildings were falling apart in front of me. Dead, mutilated bodies littered the ground. The undead stumbled around aimlessly, groaning and moaning for food, for human flesh.

And, at the top of the hill, stood the most terrifying sight of all. My brother, still in his helmet, staring at me. Only, it wasn't him. Before me stood the walker that used to be my brother. My breath hitched and I choked back a sob. And then he started walking, right towards me. I tried to move out of the way, but my legs felt like lead. I couldn't move. He was coming up on me, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. This was it. This was how I was going to die.

OOOOOOOO

I woke up with a start, my entire body jolting up. My axe hid the ground with a soft thud as it fell from my lap. I had been dreaming. It was the same dream that I had had every single night since my friends died. It was terrifying and stiffening, and I think what makes it so horrifying is the fact that it could be true. My brother could be a walker right now. And I would have no idea. 

I was about to close my eyes again when I heard it. A scream. It was a woman's scream, coming from the pharmacy next door. My blood turned to ice. There was a woman next door. Another yell followed, this time a male's. There were two people next door. I haven't seen people in weeks. I didn't know what to do.

They kept screaming and yelling, which I knew was attracting walkers here. They were going to find them, to find me really soon. I had to do something. 

"Maggie!" The man yelled. They sounded like they were in trouble. They needed help.

And at that moment, I made a decision, a decision that would change the rest of my life completely. I decided right then to go in and help them. I didn't have anything to lose. Might as well do some good before I go.

I launched myself up from my sitting position, slinging my bow off of my shoulder, knocking an arrow. It had become a sort of habit for me now. I ran out the door of the store and turned left, towards the pharmacy next to me. I could hear grunts and growls coming from the inside. Oh yes, there was definitely a fight going on in there.

Forcefully, I kicked the door open, aiming my bow. There was a walker right there in front of me, and without hesitation, I shot it in the skull. I ran into the store and started shooting at all of the walkers in my sight. There were at least a dozen of them. I heard grunting next to me and knew that one of the other people was taking on a walker. As one closed on on me, I reached for my axe at my side. My axe and my bow were my favorite weapons, although I did enjoy my guns as well. Over the past few weeks, I had become quite skilled at nearly all manners of weaponry. I put my axe through one walker's skull, then pulled it out with a swift yank and struck another, blood splattering on my dark jeans. I didn’t care. They would just dry over the other blood stains, the blood of my fallen friends. I kept shooting and striking until they were all down. Even then, I went up to each one and struck them in the head aggressively, just in case. 

Slowly, I slung my bow back over my shoulder, my axe still in my other hand. I could feel blood on my hands and arms. 

"Thank you." A woman's voice said behind me. She had a thick, southern drawl. I turned around and saw her clearly for the first time. She had short brown hair and warm brown eyes. She wore a green t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans. She was beautiful. She looked me up and down. Honestly, I didn’t envy her. I probably looked like absolute hell. I hadn’t showered or bathed in days and I hadn’t changed since the attack. Needless to say, I was a little gross.

"We would have been dead if you hadn't saved our skins." The man came and stood next to her. He had black hair and fairly tan skin. He looked Asian, maybe Chinese or Korean. He wore a worn baseball cap and a tattered t-shirt. He looked worn down, like he had been through a lot. We all had.

"It was nothing." Was all I said, fairly quietly, looking down at my feet. What was I supposed to say?

 

"No it wasn't." The girl disagreed, stepping forward. "You risked your life coming in here. You could have easily just let us die. But you didn't. You helped us, even though you have no idea who we are . People like that were hard to find before. Now, it's nearly impossible."

"Oh, well, you make me sound like a hero" I smiled sheepishly. I was taken aback by her straightforward kindness. “but I can guarantee you, I’m just a normal girl.”

“So am I. The world needs more girls like us.” The man chuckled loudly, and she elbowed him in the gut. They looked like an adorable couple. “I'm Maggie." She smiled. "This is Glenn." 

"Hi." Glenn gave me a small smile. I could tell that he was just as wary of me as I was of him, but Maggie seemed unfazed. 

 

“I’m Nicole.” I said.

"Where's the rest of your group Nicole?" Maggie asked. “Were you on a supply run or something?”

"No. It's just me." I replied.

"Really?" Glenn seemed shocked.

"Yeah. They all met a rather unfortunate end a few weeks ago. I was the only survivor. Now, I'm just trying to go day to day." It was the truth. I lived day to day, no more, no less. That's what it took to survive. This seemed to surprise them. It was   
hard to live in this world, but to live in it alone? That was nearly impossible. 

Maggie and Glenn exchanged a knowing look, one that I did not understand. I’m sure it had something to do with me, though. After a few moments, Glenn finally shrugged his shoulders and said “Fine. You have to convince the cops though.” and Maggie smiled. She turned to me and gave me a kind look. 

"We have a farm." She told me. "Just a few miles up the road. We have a group of about 15 of us are holed up there for the time being. You can come with us if you like."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to be a burden." I tried to be as polite as I could. The truth was, I didn't know if I could trust them. What if they were horrible people trying to lure me into a trap to kill me and eat me?

But then again, what if they weren't? What if they were actually just good people?

Glenn seemed to sense my apprehension. "Hey, it's cool. I get it. You don't know us. I don't blame you for being nervous. So, how about a deal? If you don't like it, or if it seems too sketchy, we will drive back and drop you off right where we found you, okay?   
I don't know if it was his sincerity or Maggie's kind smile, but something about them made me believe them. Call me crazy, but it's true. "I’m just surprised that you guys have enough faith in me to trust me so soon. ." I breathed. "Thanks." I added quickly. “I guess I’m coming with you.”

"Alright, let's get our stuff and head out." Glenn nodded, walking over and grabbing a knapsack off the bloody ground. They had been here for supplies. Huh, smart people. Maggie followed suit, grabbing her own bag. I turned and began to pull my arrows out of walkers' skulls and put them back in my quiver. I couldn’t afford to lose any. After a few moments, we were all set to go.

They led me outside to where their car was parked. 

“Umm, I hate to be rude, but,” Glenn started. “Could you put your weapons in the trunk, or with Maggie? I know it’s a weird question to ask, but…”

“I get it.” I nodded knowingly. “”These other people wouldn’t be so open to me if I came in armed to the teeth. I get it. It’s all about appearances.” Glenn seemed relieved that I didn’t put up a fight. I headed over to the open trunk and placed my axe, my bow and quiver, and my two guns in carefully.

“Is that...an AK-47?” Glenn pointed towards my gun, his eyes wide.

“Yeah. I found it on a soldier in Atlanta. Figured he wouldn’t mind if I took it.” I told him, closing the trunk. Maggie just stared at me while Glenn kept looking at the now closed trunk. I think my gun shocked him.

After his initial fascination wore off, Glenn got in the driver's seat, Maggie rode shotgun, and I sat awkwardly in the back. Boy, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

We rode in an uncomfortable silence. Of course we did. We didn’t know each other. I was an outsider, a newbie. In this world, you never knew who to trust.

I looked out the window as we pulled into the farm’s driveway. A long white picket fence wrapped around the property. Horses and cows grazed throughout the grassland. A beautiful farmhouse loomed on the horizon, it’s walls a brilliant white. I had had dark green shutters and a wraparound porch. A few tents were scattered around the front lawn. There were most definitely people here. More people than I had seen in a long time.

Glenn parked the car at the end of the driveway. A group of people came down to greet them. 

“Come say hello!” Maggie gave me a reassuring smile. “They’re going to accept you. Trust me.” I wanted to. Believe me, I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. Not after what I had seen.

They got out of the car simultaneously, but I held back, my nerves freezing me in place. What if they didn’t trust me? What if they thought I was lying? What if they were nuts? Well, I had already kind of ruled out the latter. Maggie and Glenn seemed pretty normal.

But still.

I could here greetings being exchanged outside. There were hugs and smiles and laughter. It made my heart ache. I had had that, once. I had had people who loved me, and waited for me to come home, who smiled at me all day. And now, now I was all alone in this hell hole. All of that had been taken away from me. It was just me now, Something they were not familiar with. 

I heard Maggie say “Yeah. We barely got out of there alive.” 

“How did you get out?” A new voice asked. This one belonged to a man, probably an older one. 

“We had a little help.” Maggie said vaguely. Obviously, she wanted me to make an entrance. “Come on out.”

I opened the car door slowly, my nerves still pretty frayed. Here we go. It’s now or never. 

I turned to face the group, and walked toward them, trying to muster up as much confidence as I could so I would not look so weak. But, I probably ended up doing the opposite. 

I scanned the group quickly. They were a very diverse group, ranging quite dramatically in both age and race. Each held a weapon of some sort and looked utterly exhausted. They all looked me over with the same, distrusting stare.

Maggie walked up next to me “Everyone this is…” 

“Nicole?” A voice asked from a little further away. My head snapped up so quick that I thought I had gotten whiplash. That voice. That deep, southern voice. It was one I knew, one I knew all too well. “Is that really you?”

“Oh my god.” Was all I could whisper as my nerves let go, and I lurched forward, running at full speed. His arms enveloped me in a bone crushing hug. I practically melted in his arms. I didn’t care that the rest of my group was looking at me like I was nuts. He was alive. My brother was alive. “Oh my god, I missed you so much Shane.”


	2. Take It All In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who read the last chapter. You guys rock! Let me know what you think of this one, and if you have any ideas, comments, questions, or concerns. I love all kinds of feedback!

"Oh my god. I missed you so much Shane." 

I could feel his warm breath on my neck as I nestled closer into him. He smelled like a campfire, a smell which I had always found comforting. His arms pulled me closer. Hot tears pooled in the corners of my eyes. My brother and I had never been emotional people, especially not with each other, but that didn't seem to matter right now.

"Nikki." He breathed quietly. "Nikki, I thought you were dead." 

I pulled back, resting my hands on his shoulders, which was awkward, considering he was over 6 feet and I was about 5’4 I took a moment to examine his face. He had shaved his black, curly hair, and there were many cuts and bruises visible on his scalp. He had been in a struggle not long ago. His dark brown eyes were tired, but firm as he examined me the same way I was examining him. Yes, he looked different, but this was still most definitely my big brother.

"You look like hell." He said finally, his voice grainy. 

"So do you." I retorted, shoving his shoulders a little. Always the charmer, my brother. He grunted at this, a small glimmer of, was that annoyance? in his eyes. "I can't believe I found you. I thought that-"

"Nikki?" Another voice called my name, drawing my attention behind me. I scanned the area until my eyes found the culprit. His curly brown hair was windblown and his shirt was covered in mud, but I could recognize that face anywhere.

"Rick!" I cried, running towards him. He ran too, meeting me halfway. He swallowed me in another hug, picking me up an inch or two off the ground and spinning me around. "Rick!" I laughed. "Put me down!" He did as I said, setting me down gently. 

"Is it really you?" He asked, putting his hands on my face, as if he was trying to prove to himself that I was real. I grabbed his hands and slowly pulled them away.

"Yes. It's really me." I nodded. "And you, my friend, look really good for a man that I thought was dead." 

"What can I say? I always look good!" He joked, his eyes crinkling as a smile spread across his tanned face. Even with the apocalypse, he still had the same terrible sense of humor. Classic Rick.

"Uh, ahem?" Someone behind us said loudly, capturing our attention.

"What's happening here?" An older man in a pair of suspenders asked. His hand was on Maggie's shoulder. I finally took the time to look at al, the people in front of me. There were two women and five men, not including Rick and Shane. Nearly every single one of them held some sort of a weapon, none of them as nice as mine, but still quite deadly. They were all tense, with their hands on their weapons, as if they were waiting for me to go crazy and start attacking them. I couldn't blame them. I felt the same way about them, except I had left my weapons in the car.

"This is Nicole." Rick said, pulling me forward so I was standing next to him.

"She's my sister." Shane added, planting self on the other side of me. Everyone looked back and forth between the two of us, trying to figure out if this was the truth or not. If I didn’t know any better, this seemed to make them a little more wary of me. To be honest, Shane and I looked nothing alike, and our personalities were not that similar either. He was stubborn, confident, and straight forward. I was more reserved, less willing to put myself out there, especially in front of people that I don't know. 

"Huh." Was all the old man said, looking me over. I smiled slightly, looking awkwardly at my feet. "Another one of your people on my farm,"

"I don't have to stay." I said quickly, suddenly feeling very guilty about my presence. This world was every man for himself. The last thing they needed was another mouth to feed. "I'm just glad that my brother is okay, and that Rick's okay. You can send me on my way any time you like. I would completely understand. I've survived on my own this long. I can survive some more."

"Don't be stupid Nicole." Maggie stepped forward, closer to me. "You saved my life. You saved Glenn's life. You had no reason to, but you did, and now you found your family. That has to be a sign that you were meant to be here. You're not leaving. Not if I have anything to say about it." 

Her kindness startled me, but it didn't completely change the way I felt. "No. I don't want to be a burden to you. This is your farm, not mine."

"And here on my farm," the old man spoke up. "here we take in strays. Especially the ones that save my daughter's life." He gestured to Maggie, who nodded in agreement. So she was his daughter. Huh.

"You're staying Nicole." Shane told me firmly. His voice was hard, like he was ordering me instead of persuading me. It was slightly scary. He was holding my wrist really tightly. "You're staying. You here me?"

"What he means is, you're welcome here Nicole." Rick interjected, trying to cut through the intensity my brother was radiating. I was glad for it. Shane had started to make me a little nervous. I guess that's just how people get when only one member of their family remains. "We could use someone like you. Please, stay."

I looked around at the people in front of me. They still had their hands on their weapons, but the generally looked much more relaxed than they had a few minutes ago. Could I trust these people? Truthfully, I didn't know. I had never been good at letting people get close to me. Every time I did, they were ripped from me. So close, yet so far away. It was just easier to keep everyone out. Then again, I had a better shot at survival with them than I did on my own. Maybe this was worth a shot.

"Alright." I nodded finally. "I'll stay, as long as I'm not in the way."

"Of course you're not." Maggie waved her hand dismissively, walking up to me and grabbing my shoulder. "Now let's get you cleaned up. I have some clothes that could fit you and we have a working shower. You smell like you could use it.” She stuck her nose up in the air, and sniffed over dramatically. I rolled my eyes and she giggled, grabbing my arm. I tried to walk away, but Shane still had a strong grip on my arm. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me go.

“Shane. Shane, let me go.” I said. He just stared at me blankly. “Shane!” He blinked suddenly, shaking his head, like I snapped him out of a trance of sorts.

“Oh.” He said quietly, letting me go.

I pulled my wrist away quickly, trying to hide my skin. I didn’t want him to know that he had bruised me. It was so out of character for him, but it was just an accident. Right?

Maggie led me up to the house. It was a cute building, with faded white paneling, green shutters, and porch lights. The inside was rustic looking. It was obvious that all lot of people came and went in here. Muddy boot prints were visible in the carpet. Jackets lay strewn about the couches and chairs. I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. Involuntarily, my stomach growled quite loudly. I hadn’t eaten proper food in a few days. 

“Guess we know what you should do after you shower.” Maggie smiled. “Come into the kitchen. There’s some more people to meet.” More? Really? There were a lot more people here than I had expected.

She led me into the small kitchen. The floor was a dirty, white tile and the cabinets were the same. Some kind of meat was cooking in a crockpot. It smelled like pure heaven. Two women were cooking in there. One was a tall woman with short gray hair. The other was a thin woman with long brown hair. Her dark eyes were focused on the bowl she was stirring. They didn’t seem to notice our presence. But I still saw them. And I knew exactly who she was.

“Wow Lori.” I said suddenly. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

The brunette looked up suddenly, her spoon clattering out of her hand. She brought her other hand up to her mouth, looking absolutely stunned.

“What the…..” She stuttered, stepping closer to me. 

“You weren’t expecting to see me in the doorway, were you?” I asked jokingly.

“Nicole.” She shook her head, hugging me fiercely. “You little bitch.” She laughed. She pulled away, looking me up and down. “What are you doing here?”

“She saved my life at the pharmacy. Mine and Glenn’s.” Maggie said. Lori looked over at her, and the two shared a look that I didn’t know the meaning behind. I was sure there was a much larger story behind it. 

“I’m sorry.” The gray haired woman interjected. “Who are you?”

“I’m Nicole. Shane’s little sister.” I tried to give what I thought was a kind smile. I’m not sure if it worked, though. 

“Really?” She cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah. She lived with Shane, so she’s always been like family to us. Nicole, this is Carol.” Lori pointed to the other woman.

“Hi.” Carol nodded. 

Lori smiled, wiping a tear from her eyes. “God, it’s good to see you.”

“You too. I thought you were dead. I thought Rick was dead. I thought Shane was dead. I thought you were all dead. But here you are. Alive as ever.” I shook my head.

“Carl’s here too.” She said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

My heart beat a little faster. “Really? He’s okay too?” Even though I was about ten years older than him, Carl and I had always been really close. I was his babysitter. I drove him to school, I went to all of his baseball games. He was like the little brother I never had. I had watched him grow up. I had helped raise him. Knowing that he was here, it made me a little bit more at ease.

“Well, okay is a relative term.” Lori said quietly. The color drained from my face. Oh god. What happened? Lori seemed to sense my apprehension though, so she quickly added “He’s okay Nikki. He’s okay. He was just, accidentally shot. That’s all.”

“He was what?” I said a little too loudly.

“It was an accident. He’s okay. Hershel fixed him up. He’s fine now. He’s just resting upstairs.” She stroked my arm gently. 

“Hershel?” I asked.

“My dad.” Maggie explained. “He’s a veterinarian. Not a people doctor, but close enough.” I nodded. He was okay. Carl was okay.

“Can I see him?” I asked Lori.

“Why don’t you clean up a little first?” She smiled. I blushed a deep crimson. “He’ll be there when you’re done, and uh, you look like you could use it.”

“I smell like it too.” She laughed at this. “Hey Lor, I really am glad to see you.” I squeezed her shoulder before turning around.

I barely heard her whisper “Glad someone wants to see me.” I had no idea what she meant by that, so I decided to let it go.

Maggie led me to the bathroom on the main level. I almost cried when I saw that they had working hot water. “Wait here.” She said, before running out of the room. She came back in a minute later with a stack of clothes in her hand. “These should fit you pretty well.” She handed them to me.

“Thank you Maggie.” I smiled. “For everything. Your kindness and hospitality is undeserved and unawarrented, but completely appreciated. There aren’t enough good people left.”

“Hey, that’s what I do.” She shrugged. “Come out and get some food when you’re done.” I nodded as she left me alone in the bathroom. Slowly, I peeled the clothes off of my body. Yeah, peeled is the right word. I had been wearing these for so long that I thought they might have melted onto me. I winced as I pulled my tattered shirt over my head. I slipped off my bloodstained pants and then took off my undergarments, until I was standing there in front of the mirror, completely naked.

I examined myself in the mirror. They weren’t lying. I looked like shit. My blonde hair was tinted red with blood and stuck to my face and neck in large clumps. My face was covered I scrapes and bruises from where branches had hit me. Deep purple bags hung under my blue eyes. My feet were red and had blisters on them. My hands were rubbed raw. I cringed when I saw my midsection. My abdomen was covered in dried blood, blood that had soaked through my shirt. The large cut on my side was a sickly green color. I had gotten that when one of my friends accidentally sliced me during the attack. I could count every single one of my ribs. I was scarily pale and deadly thin. I looked like a ghost, like the bloodied shell of the person I used to be. If I had seen me from far away, I would have thought that I was a walker.

I stepped in the small shower and winced as the hot water hit my body. I just stood there for a few moments, breathing in and out. I absentmindedly touched my wrist. There was a purple bruise forming there, where Shane had grabbed me. 

I was worried about him. He seemed...different. Things were definitely strained between him and Rick. The looks they had shared were hard and angry. Something had happened. But now was not the time to worry about it.

For now, I just closed my eyes and let the water cleanse my past. I heard another song playing in my head. I let the music fill my mind, pulling me away from reality. God, I love music. It’s the best way to escape reality. 

That was something I really needed nowadays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter Everybody!


	3. You Make Me Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to all the people who gave me Kudos and comments. You guys are the best! This is a pretty cute chapter for all of you. Happy Friday the 13th!

I slung my bow over my shoulder, grumbling to myself. Another day of searching, another day of coming up empty handed. It had been weeks since Sophia had disappeared. And yes, I knew, I knew that the odds of us finding her were getting smaller and smaller every day. Believe me, Officer Asshat never let me forget about that. But I wasn’t about to give up on her. Not yet,

I trudged out of the woods, my boots covered in mud. The camp was bustling with life. Dale sat on top of the RV, binoculars hanging around his neck, keeping watch. Carol was hanging clothes to dry out in the sun. Lori was beside her, washing dirty clothes in a bucket of soapy water. Hershel’s daughter Beth was feeding the horses, with the help of Patricia. Officer Friendly and Officer Asshat were nowhere to be seen. Probably arguing about Lori again, I thought.

I saw a flash of blonde hair next to the well. Andrea, I thought. I decided to head over towards her, see what kind of stick was up her ass today. There was always something bothering that chick, I was never sure though. She would be a pretty hot chick if she wasn’t so crazy. 

“Hey Andrea-” I started, getting closer to the well. The woman looked up, and I stepped back. Not Andrea. I grabbed my bow, loading an arrow before the woman had a chance to move. “Who the hell are you?” I hissed.

She just looked me up and down, her arms crossed at her chest. She fairly young, probably in her early 20s, with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. There were faded bruises along her hairline and a small scar on her upper lip. She wore tan cargo pants, a black tank top, and an army green vest. She was really short and petite, making her appear less threatening, but her eyes told a different story. She stood there in silence.

“I said who the hell are you?” I got closer, raising my bow up even higher, so it was at her eye level. She looked at he bow, then back at me.mShe seemed completely unfazed. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by someone running over. It was Maggie, the farmer’s daughter.

“He Nicole. I was lookin for ya!” She smiled at the mystery girl. She then turned and looked at me, obviously just realizing my presence. Her eyes were wide when she saw my crossbow aimed at the woman. “Woah. Woah. There’s no need for that!” She put her hands up, using one to gently push the bow down.

“Ya know this girl?” I asked, hesitantly lowering my bow, only slightly, though. 

“Yeah. Daryl, this is Nicole.” She gestured to the woman. Nicole gave me a small nod. Maggie turned back to me. “Glenn and I met her in town. She saved our lives.”

I grunted, rolling my eyes. “And you thought it was a good idea to bring a stranger back? What will Rick say? More importantly, what will Shane do?”  
I knew Shane. He was hot-headed and stubborn. Anyone who threatened his life in any way, he would sooner cut them loose then take them in. And I was not about to deal with that. 

“Number 1, Dixon, this is not Rick’s farm, or Shane’s. It’s my. It’s my fathers. And we have final say on who lives here. We do.” Maggie snipped, getting closer to me. I looked at her, surprised. I had barely heard her speak, let alone confront someone. This was a new side to the cowgirl. “And, as for Shane, I’m pretty sure he’s okay with her being here.”

“How the hell would you know?” I raised my bow a little more, aiming it at Nicole, who still, surprisingly, seemed unfazed byh is whole encounter, she had some balls. 

“She’s his sister.” Maggie said. I looked back and forth, between Maggie and the woman. Shane’s sister? Slowly, I lowered my bow, taking the arrow out, still keeping an eye on Nicole. She looked nothing like her brother, but that didn’t mean anything. 

“Really?” I cocked an eyebrow, carefully pulling my bow over my shoulder. “Lord help us all.” I chuckled, groaning internally. The last thin we needed was another Walsh running around this camp. I looked at her again. She still stood there, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes blank. She still hadn’t said a word. 

Maggie turned towards her. “Carl’s awake. That’s why I came to get you. Figured you could surprise him.” She said. Nicole nodded, giving a small smile, the first ounce of emotion she had showed so far. Shooting one more glance in my direction, Nicole walked off towards the house. 

“You always make quite the the first impression, don’t you?” Maggie joked before turning and following her. I just stood there, a little wary. That girl. There was something off about her. Something about the way she stood, about how she looked right at my bow without flinching, or the way she held herself steady. It made her seem like she knew something you didn’t, that she had done something she shoukdn’t have. I had met people like that in my old life. People like that, you learned instantly to never trust.

I didn’t care if she was Shane’s sister, Carl’s friend, Maggie’s friend.

Nicole Walsh was going to have to earn my trust, one way or another.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“And I thought you were a weapons junky.” I heard Rick chuckled from up the hill. I had been skinning squirrels down by the woods. I used to do it by the camp, but apparently Andrea found it unsavory, so I had relocated to the tree line. Laying my squirrels down in the bucket we used for stewing, I walked up the hill.

“I am.” Shane answered. When I reached the top, I saw that the two were standing next to a worn picnic table, looking at something on the top. I was curious, so I put my bucket down by the fire before joining them.

“What’s goin- Holy shit.” I muttered, standing next to the two cops. Looking down, I saw what they were examining. It was a blue duffel bag, full of weapons. I mean full. On top there were two AK-47s, and two other machine guns, although I wasn’t sure what type they were. There were four smaller handguns, dozens of cases of ammo, an axe that looked as if it had seen a lot of action, and enough knives to stock a giant steakhouse. This was an arsenal, and a pretty damn impressive one at that. “Where did ya find this?” 

“It’s Nicole’s.” Rick explained, his eyes wide. Is topped moving, turning towards him. 

“What?” I looked at him. These all belonged to that girl? “Where the hell did she get it?”

“Yeah. That’s what we want to know.” Shane answered this time, his hand running over the AK-47 greedily, like he was about to take it. “I’ll have to ask her, later.”

“Where’s the rest of her group?” I asked the obvious question If she was this armed, I was a little apprehensive to see what the rest of her group was like. Meeting them on a dark night wouldn’t be the best thing. “Because if they’re all armed like this……” 

“She doesn’t have one.” Rick said. “She’s been on her own for weeks. I think she had a group at the beginning, but now…. I know Nicole. She’s smart. She’s not much of a people person, but she’s not dumb. She know’s that there’s safety in numbers. She wouldn’t just leave her group. Either something bad happened, or she never had a group to begin with. She’s definitely alone.” The way Rick said it, it made sense, but I still refused to completely believe that she was on her own. I still didn’t trust her. 

Shane was still staring possessively at the guns, and Rick seemed lost in thought, so I turned and walked away, heading towards Carol. Unlike the other people in this camp, she was the only one who didn’t annoy the living shit out of me. She understood that I liked my space. She got why I put my tent so far away from the others, why I preferred to work alone, and she didn’t get on my nerves. She smiled slightly when I approached, hanging a shirt on the clothesline with shaky hands. Her si.ver hair was longer than it had at the beginning, like mine was. Phew blue shirt was faded and her jeans were torn at the knees. We all looked that way, though. Everything we owned was either faded, ripped, or stained, usually with walker guts. We did laundry out of habit more than necessity. Plus, it gave Caroll something to do, to take her mind off of the elephant in the room.

“I looked near the old bike path.” I said plainly. She just nodded solemnly. We never liked to say Sophia’s name. It made it too difficult, but I could tell that Carol was beginning to have the same doubts that I was. It had been weeks since Sophia disappeared. Neither of us wanted to say it, but we both knew the truth. It was very likely that she was gone, but we weren’t leaving until we had proof. “No trail.”

The woman looked down at her feet. “Thanks for trying.” She said solemnly.

“Yeah, well, all I did was try.” I shrugged, trying to make it seem like less of deal than she was making it out to be. I hadn’t actually done anything yet. “But hey, I’ll find ‘er. You just wait. You’ll see.” I clapped her lightly on the shoulder, before turning again, this time towards the camp. I heard her sigh as I walked away, her head slumped. I felt bad for Carol. We weren’t so different, me and her. Sure, a I had an abusive father and she had an abusive husband, but in the end, we were both victims. Victims that hid their feelings from the world. It was easier that way. Way easier.

I trudged up the hill, my knees popping as I went. I saw my bucket next to the fire. I looked around for Andrea. When I didn’t see her anywhere near, I decided to finish skinning them. I sat on a lawn chair and pulled out my knife, taking a squirrel out of the bucket. Call me insane, but I actually liked skinning animals. It was kind of relaxing. For a moment, I wasn’t at this camp. It wasn’t the fucking apocalypse. No walkers were tryin ta’ eat me every other minute. For a moment, I was back home, skinning my haul after a long day of hunting in the backwoods, all by myself. Those were the best days. 

I barely even noticed how quickly the time went by until I finished with my last squirrel and looked up. The sun had moved further west. It was at least 5 or 6 p.m. at this point. I wiped the sweat off my brow and returned it to my belt. I grabbed my bucket and set off toward the house. Like always, I was going to give my catch to the women. They always wpmanaged to cook it in a way that the others found ‘more appetizing’ than stewing it over a fire. Personally, I didn’t give a shit how it was prepared, as long as I could eat it. But, I guess I was a people person now. Whatever the group wants. 

The house was fairly quiet. They were probably all doing some sort of chore around the farm. I placed the bucket on the counter in the empty kitchen. There were no people in sight. The only sound was a woman’s laugh coming from across the hall. Carl’s room. Quietly, I looked in through the cracked door. Carl was lying on the bed. I was impressed with how much better he looked compared to a week ago. The color had returned to his already pale skin. He looked less exhausted than he had when I had last seen him. Behind Carol, Carl probably annoyed me the least of all the people in this group, especially the man who used to bang his mom. And no, not her husband. 

He was smiling and his eyes were bright. Something had made him happy. At that moment, I realized that he was talking to Nicole. She was sitting at the foot of the bed, her hand on Carl’s foot, which was under a blanket. Her other hand tucked a piece of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. 

“Of course you got shot.” Nicole chuckled, shaking her head. I realized that this was the first time I had heard her speak. She had a slight southern drawl, but not much. More such a small person, she had a fairly low pitched voice, and it was a little scratchy, like she had smoked, but something told me that it was just naturally that way. It was a really, really interesting voice. “Clumsy Carl, as always.” 

“Says the girl who had to go to the hospital for cracking her forehead open because she tripped over a fire hydrant!” Carl retorted, laughing hysterically, pointing at her. Nicole leaned back, a hand on her chest, feigning shock. 

“Carl Grimes! You promised not to bring that up ever again! That hurt like hell!” She scolded him, jokingly. Carl broke into a fit of laughter, and Nicole chuckled loudly, shoving the boy’s shoulders. Obviously, these two had a very strong connection, a very deep friendship that I would never understand. Still, I didn’t entirely first this woman. She was new, and all new people were mistrusted.it was a part of life. 

Slowly, I crept away from the door, not wanting to intrude anymore. As I stepped away, I could have sworn that I saw Nicole look right at me and grin.

But then again, that could have just been my imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like it, leave a comment. If you didn’t, please still leave a comment. I love all forms of feedback!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked the First Chapter!


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